OKLAHOMA CITY, USA (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 35 points and hit a pair of jumpers in the final minute to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 93-91

victory over the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday in Game One of the Western Conference semi-finals. Derek Fisher poked the ball away from Mike Conley to spring Durant the other way, and he pulled up to make a shot with 11.1 seconds left that put Oklahoma City up 91-90. Quincy Pondexter had a chance to send the game to overtime when he was fouled attempting a three-pointer with Memphis trailing 93-90 and 1.6 seconds remaining. But he missed the first free throw. On the Grizzlies’ previous possession, Thabo Sefolosha deflected an inbound pass, and Conley landed out of bounds while diving for the ball. Reggie Jackson then hit two free throws to make the lead three. But Jackson hacked Pondexter on his right arm before he released a three-pointer from the left wing in an attempt to tie it. Pondexter, a 72 per cent career free-throw shooter, made his second attempt before purposefully missing the third, but Durant swatted the rebound away and Marc Gasol’s attempt at a buzzer-beater was late. The Grizzlies got 20 points and 10 rebounds from Gasol and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Zach Randolph. Pondexter and Conley scored 13 apiece. Kevin Martin scored 25 for Oklahoma City, who trailed for much of the game but were able to avoid repeating their Game One loss from when these two teams met in the West semi-finals two years ago. The Thunder were able to rally and win that series in seven. Game Two is tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. OKLAHOMA CITY, USA — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant dives to keep a ball from going out of bounds during the third quarter of Game One of their NBA basketball play-off series in the Western Conference semi-finals against the Memphis Grizzlies here, yesterday. Oklahoma City won 93-91. (PHOTO: AP)